Disclaimer: I was provided with free product from Raw Athletics. All opinions are 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links.

I connected with Steve, the founder of Raw Athletics, last year and immediately knew he was onto something really awesome. Raw Athletics produces Vapor Fresh sports cleaning spray and laundry detergent. He came up with the idea while in college. He played hockey and couldn’t take the smelliness of his gear anymore. Has anyone ever smelled hockey gear? Let me tell you, it doesn’t smell pretty

Let’s start with the sports detergent…

“But wait, doesn’t that already exist?”

Yeah sure it does, but let me tell you why this stuff is different:

Free of chemicals that will destroy your performance fabrics.

Free of chemicals that will destroy the environment.

Powdered detergent instead of a liquid detergent.

Strong concentration of specific cleaning enzymes.

Formulated for a cold-water wash.

Their detergent is not scented, which means the smell in your laundry isn’t just being covered up, it’s actually being taken out. Many performance apparel companies, like Nike, even recommend you wash your workout clothes with powdered detergent as opposed to liquid. If you’re interested in reading more about how to wash specific brands, Raw Athletics has listed how the popular brands, such as Nike and lululemon, recommend you wash their clothes (scroll to FAQ section).

They recently re-designed their product labels!

Also, if you notice your clothes are still stinky no matter how many times you’ve washed them, it could be because you’re using regular detergent. From the Raw Athletics website:

Fabric softeners, optical brighteners and fragrances can leave a fine film on your fabrics which can trap odor-causing bacteria and body oils, causing those lingering odors and the diminished wicking capabilities.

I totally had this problem before I started using their products. Some of my workout tops smelled awful even after washing them. I had to throw a few out due to the smell.

Here’s a handy chart comparing Vapor Fresh to other competitors:

SPORTS SPRAY

The sports cleaning spray helps to eliminate odors from sports gear such as pads, equipment and sneakers. It has no artificial fragrances, no chlorine, no ammonia, and it’s non-irritating/non-toxic. So what’s the difference with this and Febreze?

Here’s what Raw Athletics has to say (they will do a better job of explaining than I will):

Other sports cleaning sprays either use harsh ammonia or chlorine-based disinfectants to clean the sports equipment, or they simply use artificial fragrances to attempt to cover up the nasty odors. Unfortunately both of these options have drawbacks– harsh disinfectants were not meant to come in contact with skin and typically cause some sort of skin discomfort when exposed, and artificial fragrances only mask the problem and wear off quickly. Vapor Fresh® Sports Cleaning Spray harnesses the power of essential oils — oil extracts from specific species of plants– which have been shown to have antimicrobial properties and also have a naturally-occuring refreshing scent.

Or if you’re more of a visual person:

Again, you don’t want artificial fragrances just covering up the smell and making it worse! This stuff is great for when you need to deodorize on the go. I love using it on my gym bags because they obviously get a little dank from putting sweaty or wet clothes in there. You can find specific information on how to use the spray for different things (like pads, yoga mats, etc.) here.

Side note: Did you know “kids these days” use the word “dank” when describing things that are “cool?” Like, “that’s so dank!” Oh the things you learn with younger siblings…

Anyway, whether you get the spray or detergent, this stuff is great AND affordable. FYI, Vapor Fresh detergent yields 36 regular loads, or 72 HE loads.

I have no problem investing in things that related to running or fitness, since it is something I’m doing on a daily basis. About 95% of my laundry is sports related…anyone else?

I love these products, and am excited to say that I will be helping them with their social media presence as well! So make sure to follow Raw Athletics on Twitter and Facebook for future contests and promotions

If you have any questions about the product please feel free to leave a comment below! I think these are both great products for those who are active and sometimes suffer from stinky gym clothes